Final Fantasy XIV
News, coverage and analysis tracking Final Fantasy XIV across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Alien: Isolation 2, Modern Warfare 4, and more will be playable ahead of release at PAX…
PAX Australia will feature playable demos of upcoming games including Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Alien: Isolation 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Attendees can also experience Final Fantasy 14 on Nintendo Switch 2 and participate in Ubisoft esports events.
Can you name the game this game-within-a-game is from?
This article presents a quiz challenging readers to identify the main game from which various in-game minigames originate. Examples like Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII and Gwent from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are highlighted as beloved side activities that can consume players' attention.
Industry vet who worked on Ultima Online says the next big thing needs to have 'sh*tty graphics' to escape the…
Industry veteran Raph Koster argues that the relentless pursuit of high-resolution graphics is unsustainable due to ballooning development costs and stagnant game prices. He suggests that the next major platform innovation needs to intentionally have 'shitty graphics' to reset the cost curve and allow for new gameplay affordances, preventing established companies from dominating.
FF14's new roguelike mode's leaderboards were accidentally encouraging players to min-max all the fun out of it, so it'll be 'postponing the start of Crucible Rankings'
Square Enix has postponed the start of rankings for Final Fantasy XIV's new roguelike mode, the Crucible of the Unbroken, due to issues with combat balance and gameplay mechanics. The current ranking system inadvertently encourages players to ignore interesting mechanics and "min-max" their way to victory for rewards like a mount, leading to player dissatisfaction.
WoW Forever dataminers have dug up set bonuses, which are interesting even on low-level gear
Dataminers have uncovered unique set bonuses for World of Warcraft: Forever, even for low-level gear, suggesting a focus on horizontal development. These bonuses include effects like spell reflection, life steal, and target stuns, indicating Blizzard's intent to make gear more meaningful beyond just stat increases.
PAX Aus 2026 unveils its Expo Floor lineup
PAX Australia 2026 has announced its Expo Floor lineup, featuring major developers like SEGA, Activision, and Square Enix. SEGA will showcase titles including Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 and Persona 4 Revival, while Activision will present Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Ubisoft will also host Rainbow Six Siege finals and other activities.
Final Fantasy XIV previews and elaborates on same-region matching starting with the Japanese data centers
Final Fantasy XIV is implementing same-region matching for its Japanese data centers starting October 13th, with plans to roll out to other regions if tests prove stable. This change will allow players from different logical data centers within the same physical data center to matchmake together, enhancing cross-world linkshells, party finder, and other social features.
Massively OP Podcast Episode 579: BlizzCon breakdown
The Massively OP Podcast episode 579 breaks down the major announcements from BlizzCon, including World of Warcraft Forever, Wrath Remix, a StarCraft project, Diablo V, and a Warcraft III expansion. The hosts also briefly touch on news from The Lord of the Rings Online, Final Fantasy XIV, and Skate.
Blizzard finally told players where the big sword in WoW went after 8 years, and I'm just bummed out a reveal this…
Blizzard Entertainment has revealed the fate of the large sword introduced in World of Warcraft: Legion after eight years, confirming it is a spike pointed towards Azeroth's worldsoul in the upcoming Midnight expansion. The author expresses disappointment that this reveal was made through an interview rather than an in-game environmental storytelling moment, contrasting it with Final Fantasy XIV's narrative approach.
Wisdom of Nym: Reacting to the big job reveal and Beastmaster in Final Fantasy XIV’s patch 7.56
The author discusses the reveal of the new job and the Beastmaster limited job in Final Fantasy XIV's patch 7.56. While the new job's mechanics are still largely unknown, the Beastmaster job is analyzed, with its strengths in the Crucible mode noted, but drawbacks in content variety and companion leveling systems are also highlighted.
World of Warcraft: Forever will get a hardcore mode by winter, say devs—which'll be interesting, given all the new and undiscovered ways to die
Blizzard Entertainment announced that World of Warcraft: Forever, a Classic+ reimagining of vanilla WoW, will receive a Hardcore mode by winter. This mode proved popular in World of Warcraft Classic and will be added to Forever with new content, offering a fresh challenge for players.
MMO Week in Review: Foreverrrrr
BlizzCon 2026 saw major announcements including a new open-world StarCraft shooter, Diablo V for 2029, and World of Warcraft Forever launching soon. The event also revealed World of Warcraft's next retail expansion, The Last Titan, and sparked controversy over World of Warcraft Forever's monetization. Other news included the sunsetting of Ship of Heroes, layoffs at Pantheon Rise of the Fallen, and business dealings involving ArcheAge.
Square Enix scrambles to fix Final Fantasy 14 bug where new beastmaster could crash entire servers
Square Enix has released an emergency patch for Final Fantasy 14 to address a critical bug with the new beastmaster job that could cause entire servers to crash. The bug occurred when a player's pet used a HP-restoring weapon skill at the exact moment the player disconnected, leading to server instability. This issue required immediate attention due to the potential for widespread disruption.
Final Fantasy 14's funky new roguelike mode has me hyped for Evercold's combat revamp, which'll be a…
The Final Fantasy XIV Beastmaster limited job's roguelike mode, the Crucible of the Unbroken, showcases experimental job design that excites the author for the upcoming Evercold update. This mode moves beyond rote rotations, requiring strategic pet selection and ability usage to overcome unique mechanics, offering a glimpse into Square Enix's potential to reintroduce job identity.
WRUP: Stat blocks for the weird dudes at your local McDonald’s edition
The Massively OP staff and community share their gaming plans for the weekend, with discussions centering on MMORPGs like City of Heroes, Final Fantasy XIV, and World of Warcraft. Several staff members also reflect on the most impactful video games from their past, with Ultima Online, City of Heroes, and Dragon Quest being frequently cited.
Evening Reading - September 11, 2026
This edition of Evening Reading covers various gaming news, including Saudi Arabian investors considering a merger between EA and Savvy Games, EA Sports confirming the use of generative AI voice tech in NHL 27, and PlayStation reportedly shelving Hideo Kojima's Physint. It also notes Stellar Blade developers confirming game card sizes for the Nintendo Switch 2, the closure of Moss developer Polyarc, and Nintendo's legal win against Switch pirates.
Vague Patch Notes: In defense of not knowing what you like in MMORPGs
This analysis argues for the importance of exploring games outside of one's established preferences, particularly within the vast landscape of MMORPGs. The author suggests that while knowing what you like is valuable for understanding game design, a tendency to stick to familiar genres can lead to complacency and missed opportunities for discovery. The piece advocates for an open-minded approach, even when faced with vague patch notes or games that don't immediately appeal, highlighting personal experiences with games like Final Fantasy XIV and Nightmare Reaper as examples of unexpected enjoyment.
Final Fantasy 14's Beastmaster has fans experiencing the MMO as Pokemon trainers for the first time in its 16 years, and they love it so much they "wish it was a standard job"
Final Fantasy XIV's new limited job, Beastmaster, has been met with significant enthusiasm from players, drawing comparisons to Pokemon and Palworld. Many players express a desire for it to become a standard job due to its engaging gameplay loop and the fun associated with capturing and utilizing creatures in combat. While some concerns exist about its long-term viability compared to previous limited jobs, the overall sentiment is highly positive.
Attendees will be able to check out a demo of The Witcher 3 DLC Songs of the Past behind closed doors at PAX Australia
Attendees at PAX Australia will have the opportunity to experience a behind-closed-doors demo of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's upcoming DLC, Songs of the Past. The expansion, developed by Fool's Theory in collaboration with CD Projekt, will feature a new region and focus on the character Dandelion. The event also includes panels and demos for other games and tabletop experiences.
20 years later, veteran WoW director says players outsmarted him completely in Ahn'Qiraj: 'All that work, and…
Former Blizzard game director Wyatt Cheng reflects on the Ahn'Qiraj raid in World of Warcraft, specifically the Prophet Skeram boss encounter, admitting players outsmarted his intended mechanics. He details how players used various in-game exploits and UI mods to easily identify the real boss, despite his efforts to create a challenging illusion mechanic.
